PCBEater

thingiverse

I've been working on a massive version of the ant PCB milling machine, inspired by its innovative design. My primary objective was to create a bigger working area, fewer printed parts, and easier sourcing of components. I'm still waiting for all the necessary parts to arrive before I can thoroughly test this scaled-up design and see if it meets my expectations. All 3D-printed components were designed from scratch, except for the Z-head, which was modified to support a robust 28mm motor and reliable LM8UU bearings. The spindle speed reaches an impressive 12K RPM. While all parts are original, I did make modifications to two STL files: Motor_and_Spindle_Pulleys_No_Collet_.stl and head.stl. These were based on the original STLs provided by the Ant PCB team (https://bitbucket.org/compactpcbmaker/cpcbm/src/master/). You can see a video of my project in action here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuXTDUDVxjY&t=1s Here are some key differences between this machine and the original Ant PCB: * A significantly larger cutting area, measuring approximately 12 inches by 7 inches * Upgraded to 8mm rods from the original 6mm rods * I've replaced the 1010 Makerbeam with a stronger 2020 extrusion * MGN15H rails provide better stability compared to the MGN9H rails used in the Ant PCB * I've upgraded to 9mm belts and 10mm pulleys, increasing precision over the original 6mm setup * The motor has been increased from 26mm to a more powerful 28mm * I've switched from Nema 11 1.8 degree steppers to more accurate Nema 17 0.9 degree steppers